


Holy Unity

by Helasdottir



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, Future Fic, M/M, Married Couple, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-10 19:32:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18414431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Helasdottir/pseuds/Helasdottir
Summary: “You’ve been Reed’s partner for years now, right?” The man who asks the question – Emilio Nicoletti – is young, not yet in his thirties, a recent addition to central station.“Correct,” he informs the group, all of whom have turned to look at him.“Do you know his wife?”“No, I do not,” Nines replies.





	Holy Unity

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write something fluffy and pointless, this came out.

“Did any of you ever meet Reed’s wife?”

“No, I didn’t even know he was married until a couple weeks ago.”

“Honestly, I feel bad. He even treats his partner like shit, I can’t imagine how he must treat his wife. She must be a saint for putting up with him.”

“I overheard Chen saying their fifth anniversary is coming up, can you imagine spending half a decade in a relationship with him?”

“Five years and he never brought her around, not even for the holiday parties, he doesn’t even have a picture of her with him, that’s cold.”

“Do you think he’s one of those men who keep their wives locked in the house?”

“God, that’s terrifying, but I can see it.”

The hushed conversation is nothing new – central station is large and gossiping is a favorite pastime for many officers. The subject matter is usually the latest person to call attention to themselves or, when nothing interesting happens, Detective Gavin Reed.

Nines isn’t sure why his partner is so interesting to the officers who don’t know him well. He shares as little about his personal life as Gavin does but is rarely the main topic of discussion among his fellow officers. It could be that the human’s aggressive posturing makes him more interesting, but it all seems senseless to Nines.

He walks by the group with his LED spinning a calm blue, already too accustomed to overhearing these conversations to be bothered by them. He intends to make his way to Gavin’s desk with a fresh coffee when one of the officers gathered there calls his name.

“Yes?” he asks, turning to face them, the curious raise of his eyebrows the only demonstration of emotion on his face.

“You’ve been Reed’s partner for years now, right?” The man who asks the question – Emilio Nicoletti – is young, not yet in his thirties, a recent addition to central station.

“Correct. Seven years, four months and twenty-three days,” he informs the group, all of whom have turned to look at him.

“Do you know his wife?”

The question makes his LED spin yellow for three quarters of a second before resetting to its standard blue.

“No, I do not,” Nines replies. It’s not a lie. “Detective Reed is a very guarded person,” he adds, amused at their nods of agreement.

“Right. We were just curious, you know, he never talks about her,” officer William Jones commented, rejoining the conversation. “We thought after all that time together he might have told you.”

Nines looks pensive, then slowly shakes his head. “I apologize. I believe there is nothing I can share to contribute to your curiosity.”

“That’s okay. Thanks, Nines.”

The android only offers a brief incline of his head to end his part of the interaction, walking to Gavin’s desk and placing the cup in front of him without a word. As usual, the Detective didn’t bother thanking him or even acknowledging his presence, so Nines sat down at his own terminal to look over the files on their latest case.

It’s not unusual for him to stay at the station long after most people have left, reviewing evidence and reorganizing files for better access. By the time he gets home, every light is off except for the bedside lamp, which casts a faint glow he can see from the corridor.

“Took you long enough, asshole,” comes Gavin’s voice from the bedroom, a few moments before Nines even walks through that door. Gavin is already under the covers, wearing an old, loose t-shirt with several odd stains, a tablet resting on his lap. “Gonna break your car so you have to come home with me.”

“Hmpf.” Nines smiles at the threat, closing the door behind him and opening the closet to fish out his own sleeping shirt. “I would take a cab, Gav.”

“Have I ever told you you’re a shitty husband?” Gavin asks, but there’s no malice to his tone. He’s only teasing and Nines knows him enough not to read far into his insults.

“You might have, once or twice.” The android undresses and folds his clothes with careful precision, then pulls the newly retrieved shirt over his head.

“That’s my fucking shirt.”

“I know.” Nines pulls back the covers and slides into bed, resting on his back and opening his arms in invitation. Gavin doesn’t hesitate to discard the tablet on the bedside table and press close, one arm thrown over his chest as he hides his face against the android’s neck.

Embracing his husband, Nines slides one hand under his shirt to feel the warmth emanating from his side, caressing the skin there with his thumb. He does feel somewhat guilty for being late on a cold night, knowing Gavin hates to sleep alone.

“Officer Jones and his group were discussing your private life this afternoon,” he comments, breathing in Gavin’s scent and breaking down the chemicals into a comforting pattern.

“Hm? What’d those bastards say this time?”

“They seem convinced you are an abusive husband. Officer Cerier suspects you keep your wife under house arrest,” he says calmly, meeting Gavin’s eyes when the human raises himself off his shoulder to bark out a laugh.

“Oh, yeah? And what does my _wife_ think about that?” The teasing tone is back in his voice and Nines can’t help but meet the challenge.

“She thinks you’re unbearable,” the android replies, leaning forward to join their lips in a chaste kiss. “Absolutely despicable. If only she could reach the outside world to ask for help, but alas, her husband is a police officer with enough pull to manipulate any accusation against him.”

That’s what sends Gavin into a laughing fit, doubled over his husband’s body as he strains for air between roared laugher. Nines wears an amused and satisfied smile, rubbing the area under Gavin’s ribs affectionately.

“God- fuck, damn it, Nines, you’re the best,” Gavin breathes out once he can speak again, still grinning wildly. “No one at work would believe me if I told them.”

“It is better that way, I have an image to maintain.” Nines steals another kiss, then lies back against the pillows.

“Of course.” Lowering his head back onto his husband’s shoulder, Gavin trails his hand down Nines’s arm until he reaches his hand, playing with the gold band on his finger. “My big, heartless killing machine.”

“Mm,” Nines hums softly, allowing the now familiar feeling of peace and contentment to settle in his systems. Then, through the silence of his processors, an idea. “We could come out.”

“Neither one of us is in the closet,” Gavin replies, dropping Nines’s hand in favor of resting his own over the android’s chest.

“You understood me. It would be amusing to see our coworkers react to the true nature of our relationship, particularly after overhearing their comments on how much we dislike each other.”

“A fuckton of them already know.”

“Five people does not constitute a ‘fuckton’.”

“It’s not just-“ Gavin pauses, muttering the names of those who are aware of their relationship and cursing under his breath. “Fine, five people. Why does it matter?”

“Entertainment.” Nines presses his lips to the top of Gavin’s head, closing his eyes. “We don’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“Nines,” the human sighs, and his smile can be heard in his voice. “You know I don’t give a shit who knows about us. I used to, but that was a long time ago. What are you planning?”

“The Christmas party is coming up.”

“I’m listening.”

And so, the weeks pass without their coworkers suspecting a thing. The most affection they share is their long-established routine of Nines bringing Gavin coffee, which very rarely earns a reaction – a grunt of acknowledgment or a muttered ‘thanks’ is really the most he can hope for.

As the nights get colder, Nines does a better job of leaving work on time. Now that he’s well aware of what their coworkers think of Gavin’s intimate life, he knows none of them would believe the man to be as tender and considerate as he is. That knowledge makes him enjoy their private hours even more.

Finally, the expected Christmas party arrives. It’s the first time either of them is excited to attend – every other year, it was simply an obligation that kept them apart, something Nines in particular did not take kindly to.

For once, they arrive together. Nines gives Gavin a gentle squeeze on the shoulder before they go their separate ways, the android seeking his predecessor to buy time for everyone else to arrive and Gavin to set the scene.

He realizes, halfway through the evening, that he feels excited about the idea of their relationship being public knowledge. Neither he nor Gavin were ever big on allowing others to share their tender moments, but there were brief moments where he longed to steal a kiss or touch as they passed each other at the station. After this night, that would be possible.

It’s not long after that realization that the pieces fall into place. Jones and his usual group have gathered near the food, Gavin approaches them after making himself a small plate of fruit to snack on. Nines sees this and enhances his audio processors to determine when his entrance would be most appropriate.

“You kids should take the opportunity to drink, it’s the one day Fowler won’t give you shit for it,” he hears Gavin say, watching him pop a grape into his mouth.

“You’re not drinking, Detective.” It’s Cerier who points that out, wearing a fake smile but sounding genuinely curious.

“Shit, you caught me.” Gavin grins. “I’m not that young, y’know. Also, I’m a married man, indulging wouldn’t look good on me.”

“Oh, of course,” she replies with an irritating giggle. “I imagine your wife wouldn’t like you going home drunk over the holidays.”

“Speaking of that,” Nicoletti interjects, taking a sip of his champagne. “If you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t you bring her? I’m sure everyone would love to meet her.”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” Gavin glances back at Nines, but when the others try to follow his line of sight, they fail to notice the android as his focus and are left looking confused.

“She’s here?” Jones asks, clearly not sure of what Gavin’s vague response means. The Detective smiles and pops another grape into his mouth rather than responding.

That’s when Nines approaches the group, a tall glass of bright blue thirium in his right hand. Instead of standing by Gavin’s side, he settles behind the Detective and wraps his free arm around his middle, pressing an unscripted kiss to the exposed patch of skin above his husband’s scarf.

“How are you enjoying the party, sweetheart?”

As expected, jaws drop. The younger officers seem shocked, exchanging glances as they try to understand the situation. With a sweet sigh, Gavin leans back against Nines’s chest.

“Just fine,” he replies, placing his hand over Nines’s where it rests on his stomach. “My husband always comes with me to these parties,” Gavin says to the group, trying to contain an amused smile.

“Oh.”

“Wait, you said-“ Cerier starts, only to be interrupted by Jones.

“I thought you said you didn’t know who Detective Reed was married to,” Jones says accusingly, eyeing the android.

“I said I do not know his wife. That is true, as Gavin has no wife.” Nines raises an eyebrow as if to challenge the group to call him a liar.

“Come on, let’s ditch these losers,” Gavin pulls his hand away, slipping out of Nines’s hold only to lock their arms together as they walk towards a friendlier part of the party.

Tina spots them and claps her hands together excitedly, Chris smiles as if he knew they’d come around to sharing the truth, and Fowler simply rolls his eyes at their antics. It’s the best office party yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr @hassumccoy or @daughterofdeath and on twitter @xhelasdottir.


End file.
